Duplicating method and means



June 6, 1939. D. woLFsoN 2,161,330

DUPLICATING METHOD AND MEANS Filed NOV. vl0, l1936 '2 VSheets-Sheet l rum" ATTORNEY.

June 6, 1939. D. WOLFSON 2,161,330

DUPLICATING METHOD AND MEANS Filed Nov. 1o, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENT OR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 6, 1.939

k.Uil-wifi?En. STATES PATENT F FICE 2,161,330 nUPLICArnimV METHOD- ANDv MEANS David Wolfson,` Far Rockaway, N. Y.

ApplicationNovember 10, 1936, Serial No. 110,071

Claims. '(Cl. lOl-133) The; present. improvements relatel to .methods of; duplicating. graphic matter carried bye.. inaster. Copy. Qrsheet, andlmeans. for practicing the same. Primarily they involve a new method of duplication and secondarily4 mechanical means whichembody the-best. mode a-t present devised i011 practicing and applying the principles of that method; and while such means.- are believed to be oli great value,V and importance, kthe method or 19pJ process.` may. be4 practiced by other mechanical means or by` hand; aided; only byl very simple mechanical devices.

The principalobject ofthe improvements is to provide a method andv means for duplicating 1g? throughthe use of copying ink orthe like matter carriedy by` or stencilledin almaster sheet on copying sheets byr simple; and .effective` operations and eiicient, durable andsimple mechanism, and to insure a'clear, and clean transference of the originalto a maximum number of copies quickly` andeasily, with a minimum ofrforceandpressure and without unnecessarywear on the copy or wastage of materials. f

The; mechanism of the preferred` embodiment z-Lis inupart an improvement in that-described and shown inmyv` copending; application Seriall No. 36,464LledAugustg15, 1935, izo/Which reference may be had forI further illustration and description of corresponding parts. The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying*drawings,V which show an exemplary embodiment in a machine for practicing the new method, and in whichl Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of such vv a Amachine;

Fig.` 2 is a transverse vertical sectionof the samer substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows in that figure;

40, Fig. 3 is an enlarged'sectional view of the ymaster copy, supportin'gplate therefor, copying sheet and fragments ofthe upper and underV printing pressure rollers, in operation;

Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail partly in vertical section of the reservoir for the volatile meistening uid and means for-'mounting the same and regulating the fluid supply; and

Fig. 5 aplan, partly in section, ofy thesaid machine.

50,. Theframe of the machineconsists essentially of rfeet I with side portions 4 and 5. Longitudinal side,tracks G-Vandlj are mounted at their ends in the end portions of the frame andon them travel the slides zandl 9, `rsupporting thecar- Triage for f theworking X`partsqofY the 4machine.f

Cross bars 2 and 3 are rigidly securedat'their ends in opposite ends of' the frame members It and 2 and connect the same to form a rigid supporting structure.

The supporting sheet or flexible bed plate I IJ7 5: extends lengthwise of the machine and is supported at one end by tension springs II connected therewith and with the end bar 2 and by*v a sheet metal hook 'passed over the opposite end bar 3v to which thek said supporting sheet is 1'0"- 'solderedy or otherwise secured. The supporting sheet isY therefore suspendedr and held under lengthwise tension. It is not necessary, however, for most purposes to employ the spring II', al-

though this spring adds to the flexibility of the 152 sheet and providesa -mounting therefor which permits it to be quickly and easily placedin position or removed. Sheets of different thickness and material and various degrees of flexibility may be used as made-necessary by the character-y of the work and the master sheet employed.' If stencil work is to be done, a foraminous supporting sheet willbe used with a flannel sheet-supported thereon andthe copying sheet'applied to the stencil on the `top surface of the` flannel sheet, 25 s0 that ink applied to the under side ofthe supporting sheet will pass therethrough, through the interveningv flannel sheet and the stencil to makel the desired impression on the copy sheet.

The master copy sheet I 7,'which in the present embodiment maybe assumed to be a sheetof paper with the master copy thereon in reverse, lies flatwise on the supporting sheet orr plate Ill` and is held against movementin the direction of the travel of the carriage and rollers in making 35 av copy by a clip I3 consisting of a folded strip of sheet metal,Y by having its forward' edge turned in between the folded portions of the clip asindicated at III.v To bind this edge-of the master sheetin the clip afsmall metal plate I5` may be forcediin between it and the lower fold of the clip so `as to have a wedging action, andffthis. wedging plate is preferablyattached'to 'the lower: part of the hook plate I2 by means of a chain I6'. connected with both. 45

The sheet Izis not only a supporting'v sheet for the master copy butV operates'in a' peculiar manner in the making of the impression-on the copying sheet. 'To this end it is preferably` made of relatively thin sheet metaL'a thickness' o1' gauge lof-.016 inch or a little less b'eingzsuitable.v It should havey a hard, smooth surface and a resilient'body of spring tempered brass.. Germansilver, nickel silver or similar metal.

ThiILhard rolled paperboard Ymay be used,lbutl this has not been found to possess the desired durability. It will be observed that a sheet of the character indicated is flexible so that when an impression is being made it will flex under the pressure of the rollers and. conform to a slight extent to the curvature of the lower and harder roller, thus giving a relatively sharp line of pressure across the master and copy sheets, which insures al clear and sharp impression of the matter being duplicated. After passing between the rollers the sheet I9 instantly returns to its original planular form, and as it is made of material having great tensile strength it does not stretch while the impression is being made and thus cause blurring of the transfer impression.

The upper roller I8 is mounted in the carriage which consists of a cross plate 20 pivotally mounted in the slides 8 and 9 at 2| and the longitudinal members 22' extending from either side of the cross plate in which the roller i8 and. also the moistening and idler feeding roller 23 are mounted. The cross member 24 mounted separately and rigidly on the slides 8 and 9 is also a part of the carriage structure, and the lower roller I9 is mounted for rotation in brackets 25 rigidly connected with and depending from the slides.

The handle 26, by which the carriage is operated, extends upwardly from the cross member 21 connecting the outer portions of the arms 22, and these arms may therefore be depressed, carrying the rollers I8 and 23 with them, by this handle, so as to cause pressure between the upper and lower rollers during the printing operation. A spring 28 normally holds these parts in their uppermost position in which the handle is stopped by the rigid cross member 24, the depression of the handle and rollers being against the tension of this spring. Secured between the arms of the handle and spaced below the hand grip 2'6 thereof is a curved plate 29, which turns the sheet backward and downward after it has been printed and prevents it from coming in contact with the hand of the operator.

On each side of the carriage curved spring guides 30 for the printing sheet are mounted by having their upper ends fixed. to the ends of the arms 22, as shown at 3l, and these guides extend downwardly and then horizontally between the shafts I8 and I9 of the rollers I8 and I9 so as to guide the printing sheets between the rollers and strip them from the master copy after they have been printed. As the printing sheets are wider than the rollers and the master copy, to provide the usual side margins of the printed sheet, they will be engaged by guides 39 beyond the ends of the rollers, and therefore the guides are located beyond the pressure surfaces` of the rollers at each side, and are so arranged as to engage the under side of each printing sheet near its side edges so as to separate it from the master copy as it is printed and guide it upwardly to the open space at the rear of the carriage.

The upper roller I8 is greater in diameter than the under roller I9, and has a rigid core I8 with a relatively soft, thick cover I8" thereon of rubber or some composition having similar properties. The under roller is of the same character except that the cover I9 is of relatively hard vulcanized rubber or like material.' The effect of this construction and composition of the rollers is that when the upper'roller is pressed A down against the lower roller, through the sheets,

it is slightly flattened along the line of pressure between the rollers, and even caused to become slightly concave at that line (see Fig. 3) following the contour of the harder under roller to a certain extent. The supporting sheet is also flexed slightly, as are also the master copy and the printing sheet. This accomplishes a number of important results, including the prevention of slippage and the production of a rather sharp line of maximum printing pressure. It also gives the upper roller a satisfactory traction grip on the back of the printing sheet. Thus, the operation of the parts which produce the duplication are made positive and accurate in their operation.

The clear printing sheets 32 are fed by the feeding chute and guide 33, mounted on the carriage, to the rollers I8 and 23 and as the carriage is moved forward the rotation of these rollers feeds the sheet past the guide 34 to the bite of the rollers I8 and I9 as they pass over the sheet I and master copy and exert pressure thereon, and as it is printed it passes up over the guide 30.

The means for moistening the under surface of the sheets comprises a holder 35 mounted on the cross member 20 oi the carriage and provided with a cover 36 secured by a bolt 37 and hand nut 38, a lling of loose absorbent material 39 and a bottle 4U for the liquid mounted on the cover, also an absorbent gravity conductor 4I. The bottom 42 of the holder 35 is inclined upwardly from its lower transverse edges and divides the holder into two compartments open to each other. The forward compartment receives the liquid from the bottle, which is absorbed by the loose material 39 and the rearward compartment receives the conductor 4I which is held therein by the partition 43` depending from the cover and the upstanding at lugs 44 near the apex of the bottom 42. The liquid conductor 4I is preferably of closely felted material and extends through a longitudinal slot 35 at or near: the bottom of the holder 35 beyond the holder.-

and into contact with the combined moistening and feeding idler roller 23. The liquid saturates the conveying sheet 4I, and passes slowly over it to the roller 23 with the upper surface of which it is in contact, and this roller 23 distributes it evenly over the sheet 32 so as to moisten the sheet on the side to be printed; and as the rollers I8 and 23 are in close contact no excess liquid can pass through between them. It will be understood that the outer layer of the roller 23 is of vulcanized rubber or similar material having a certainY degree of resiliency, but harder than the outer cover or layer I8 of the roller I8.

The bottle reservoir 49 has its exteriorly threaded neck 45 threaded into the'interiorly threaded upstanding collar 49 on the cover (see Fig. 4) and is provided with a conical valve plug 41 in its mouth around which the liquid passing from the bottle flows slowly when the valveplug is not seated in the seat 48 of the feed opening 49 of the cover 36. The rate of lflow of the liquid from the bottle into the holder 35, and the resulting rate of flow to the roller 23, may be regulated by rotating the bottle 49 so as to increase or decrease the opening between the valve plug 41 and its seat, or it may be cut off entirely, so that no liquid will escape when the machine is not in use.

A paper holder 50 is removably mounted in the lugs I of the holder 35 by means of pins 52 4master copy, Awith its under surfa'cemoistened,

and between the upper and pressure rollers, where it is-printed by contact of `itsfmoistened surface -with the master copy. kIt is then conducted by the guides '30, as it passes'from the pressure rollers" upward an'd backward to the space behind the carriage, 'from which it mayfbe removed by hand or by any mechanism'suitable for that purpose. The rotation of the pressure rollers is caused by thefrictional contact of the under roller with .f the under side of the plate' I'D andthe upper roller with the upper side cf said plate through the master cop'yand-sh'eet being printed, the rollers rotating in unison. The pressure necessary to give the desired result is gauged by the operator,

and this pressure may be varied within rather wide limits according to the character and condition of the master copy, the quality and thickness of the paper and the character of the printing desired. In all circumstances and under all conditions, however, the maximum printing pressure is along a line of small width across the sheets which is defined by the line of contact between the rollers through the sheet IG and the masterY copy and sheet being printed, so that with close contact between the sheet being printed and the matter on the master copy, a resulting clear and sharp impression are insured.

What I claim is:

1. The herein described method or process of duplicating matter inscribed on a master sheet which consists in placing said master sheet on a resilient bed or support of relatively hard surfaced sheet material with its back to said support, moistening a face of a copying sheet and applying the same to the inscribed face of said master copy, and applying pressure progressively to the side of said support opposite the side in contact with the master copy and the side of the copying sheet opposite the side in contact with the master copy on a line substantially normal to the direction of pressure progress whereby the sheets and support are simultaneously and progressively pressed together along a line of pressure until the matter inscribed on the master copy has been impressed on the copying sheet.

2. The herein described method or process of duplicating matter carried by a master sheet which consists in placing said master sheet on a iiexible bed or supportof relatively hard surfaced sheet material with its back to said support, moistening a face of a copying sheet and applying said face to one face of said master copy, and applying pressure progressively to the side of said support opposite the side in contact with the master copy and to the side of the copying sheet opposite the side in contact with the master copy simultaneously and coextensively and thereby flexing said sheets and support along approximately parallel lines on a line substantially normalto the direction of pressure movement whereby the sheets and support are simultaneously and progressively pressed together along "a" Aline of pressurexuntilthe matter inscribed on themaster copy has been impressed' on the copyingsheet.

- A3. The/herein described method orprocess of .duplicating `matter carried by a master sheet which consists inplacing said master sheet on a flexible `bed or support of relatively hard surfaced sheet material with its back to said support, moistening a face of a copying sheet and Aapplying said face to one face of said master copy, land applying pressure progressively to the side of-said lsupport opposite the side in contact with the master copy and to the side of the copying sheet opposite the side in contact with the master copysimultaneously and coextensively on a line substantially normal to the direction of pressure ymovement whereby the sheets and support are simultaneously and progressively pressed together and ilexed Aalong a line of pressure until the matter inscribed on the master copy has been yimpressed on the copying sheet.

4. The herein described process of duplicating a master. copy which consists in placing themaster copy on a thin sheet of relatively hard surfaced material with its non-printing surface next to said sheet, applying a printing sheet to the printing surface of said master copy and applying pressure to said three elements simultaneously from both sides of the said thin sheet progressively and along a narrow zone extending transversely thereof.

5. In a duplicating machine, a frame, a master copy supporting member in said frame comprising a thin sheet of material, pressure rolls on both sides of said sheet and means for causing pressure between said rolls and on a master copy and printing sheet between one of them and said supporting sheet progressively on a line extending transversely of the same and a single automatic means for moistening the said printing sheet by gravity in advance of said rolls and feeding it to said rolls.

6. In a duplicating machine, a frame, a master copy supporting member in said i'rame comprising a thin sheet of material, pressure rolls on both sides of said sheet and means for causing pressure between said rolls on a master copy and printing sheet between one of them and said supporting sheet progressively on a line extending transversely of the same, means for feeding said printing sheet between said rolls comprising a feeding roller, means for applying moisture to said roller automatically and means for regulating and interrupting the iiow of liquid to such lastnamed means.

7. The herein described duplicating process which consists essentially in moistening one surface of the copy sheet to be printed and passing it and the master copy sheet with the moistened surface next to the master copy between pressure rollers while interposing a thin, stiff but resilient backing or supporting sheet between one roller and the said master and copy sheets.

8. In a duplicating machine a thin, stiff but flexible sheet of material having great tensile strength and resistance to stretching strains forming a backing for the master copy and printing sheets, means for mounting said sheet to resist fiexure means for mounting and maintaining said backing and master copy sheets in atwise contact and against movement relative to each other, spaced rollers positioned in longitudinal alignment and transversely of the two last mentioned sheets one roller on each side of said sheets, means for causing pressure intermittently between said rollers and by them onsaid sheets. along the aligned proximate surfaces of the rollers, means for causing relative traveling movement between said rollers and said sheets, and means for interposing between said rollers and between one of them and said master copy a printing copy sheet to be printed during said movement.

9. In a duplicating machine a thin, stiff but flexible sheet of material having great tensile strength and resistance to stretching strains forming a backing for the master copy and printing sheets, means for mounting said sheet to resist fiexure means for mounting and kmaintaining said backing and master copy sheets in flatwise contact and against movement relative to each other, spaced non-rigid rollers positioned in longitudinal alignment and transversely of the two last mentioned sheets one roller on each side of said sheets, means for causing pressure intermittently between said rollers and by them on said sheets along the aligned proximate sur- .faces of the rollers, means for causing relative traveling movement between said rollers and said sheets, and means for interposing between said rollers and between one of them andV said master copy a printing copy sheet to be printed during said movement.

10. In a duplicating machine a thin, stiff but exible sheet of material having great tensile strength and resistance to stretching strains forming a backing for the master copy and printing sheets, means for mounting and maintaining said backing and master copy sheets in iiatwise contact and against movement relative to each other, spaced rollers positioned in longitudinal alignment and transversely of the two last mentioned sheets one roller on reach side of said sheets, means for causing pressure intermittently between said rollers and by them on said sheets along the aligned proximate surfaces of the roll-v ers, means for causing relative traveling movement between said rollers and said sheets and rotation of said rollers through traction between said rollers and sheets, and means for interposing between said rollers and between one of them and said master copy a printing copy sheet to be printed during said movement.

DAVID WOLFSON. 

